Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries

Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Tonya Kappes

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Mae West, a far cry from the Hollywood actress, has been thrown for a loop. Her plush lifestyle in the big city of New York comes to a screeching halt after the FBI raids her mansion and arrests her husband, Paul West, for a Ponzi scheme that rips people out of millions of dollars.

Mae finds herself homeless, friendless, and penniless. All hope isn't lost... the only thing Mae got to keep that the government didn't seize is a tourist camp ground, Happy Trails, in Normal, Kentucky.

By the look of the brochure, Happy Trails has plush Kentucky Bluegrass, a crystal clear lake, and a beach chair with her name on it. Mae figures she'll take a couple weeks' vacation with her toes dipped in the lake.

Mae quickly finds out that Happy Trails and the citizens of Normal were also victims of Paul's schemes, making her lower than than lake scum in the residents' eyes. Mae doesn't think things could get much worse, but as luck would have it, Paul West has escaped from prison and is found dead, murdered, floating in the Happy Trails lake.

Time is running out for Mae to prove that she's innocent and nothing like her husband. If only she could get someone to believe her before the curtain is closed on this Hollywood namesake.

©2018 Tonya Kappes (P)2019 Tantor

Enjoyable

I enjoyed the book: found it refreshing. I hope the series will be continued soon. I would love to hear what happens next.

Easy Listen

I was rooting for the main character the entire story!! Great Story will continue with next book in series

Good

I liked this story, it was full of mystery, humor, and how people came together to help . The performance of the reading was good too.

the narrator was not enjoyable at all. covering a NJ accent?

The narrator was not enjoyable at all. I don't know what kind of accent she was using but I found it so difficult to listen too that I will not be listening to anymore of this series which is unfortunate because I lketo get a series and listen to all of the..

Fun listen perfect for a rainy afternoon

This is a perfect listen to pack for a new adventure. Ms. May is starting a new adventure and I am as well.

Cute story!

Ran across this author as I was looking for something to read in between books. Looking forward to reading the series now. So far I enjoy the storyline and all the Happy Trails Campground has to offer!

Officially hooked

I love this story, kept me wanting to learn more about Normal and the people.

Beach Comfort

A relaxing read, about a big city girl moving to a small town trailer park, who finds "family".

Out of the Lap of Luxury into a Camper 😊

The first in the Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery Series is a lot of fun. Mae West, the ex-wife of Paul West (in jail for a Ponzi scheme that robbed many good people of their life savings, homes and businesses) is headed for Normal, Kentucky to a campground she has never seen, in a camper she just found out was hers. Her lawyer informed her that her ex had the camper and campground put into her name to keep the FBI from confiscating them. Thinking she would get to Kentucky, evaluate her circumstances and then sell the campground, Mae West wasn't prepared for how the little town of Normal and the Happy Trails campground and its residents would change her life. Being a native Kentuckian myself, I could've told her. 😁 There's a heap more to us Kentucky folks than meet the eye. For one, we're huggers. Mae West was a skittish thing, fresh from New York, first thinking she would fix up the campground and sell it, then being drawn in and falling in love with the people she met, wanting to help all those her ex had wronged. And she sure didn't fit in at first, she had to buy jeans and tee shirts, because those designer clothes did not fit in (but they made for good sales on eBay 😉). When Paul is found dead in the Happy Trails lake, Mae West is at the top of the suspect list. But she couldn't hurt a fly. Plus she didn't even know he was out of jail. The search for the real killer puts Mae West on the bad side of the residents of Normal for a time, since they are the same ones that Paul had cheated out of their savings. This is a fun, cozy mystery, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you entertained and interested. Great resolution to the story.

Delightful Read

This is the kind of mystery that keeps one listening especially with the touches of humor spread throughout the story. The characters are well drawn and distinctive but keeps the tone light.